Combination memorandum pad and illuminating device



Oct. 14, 1941. MATTLATzKl 2,258,685

COMBINATION MEMORANDUM PAD AND ILLUMINATING DEVICE 'Filed Aug. 8, 1938INVENTOR. A: FRED Mm'nATzK/ BY W7 ATTORNEY.

Patented Oct. 14, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE COMBDJATIONMEMORANDUM PAD AND ILLUMINATING DEVICE Alfred Mattlatzki, New York, N.Y. Application August 8, 1938, Serial No. 223,740 3 Claims. (01. 2404.4)

This invention generally relates to a combina- Referring now to thedrawing, the writing imtion writing or like implement and electricillumiplement in which may be made of any suitable nating apparatus orunit, and more particularly material, as for example of a plasticmaterial, to memorandum pads the surface of which may metal or the like,comprises the compartment H be illuminated for writing or other purposesin for receiving a loose leaf paper pad l2 therein dark rooms or placesduring night time by the and the casing i3 which may be associated withafore-mentioned apparatus. said compartment ii. Casing l3 accommodatesIt is an object of this invention -to provide a .on support 2| anelectric dry cell battery I4 for practical, economical and inexpensivedevice of supplying electric current through the connecthe above nature.tions ll, 22, 23 to the incandescent lamp or bulb Another'object of thepresent invention resides l5 located on a switch block i6 within saidcasing in the provision of an electric lighting device in i3. Bulbprotrudes from said block i6 cooperation with a writing pad or the likewherethrough an opening in wall ll in such manner so by said device maybe controlled at will by the as to illuminate the top sheet ii of saidpad i2, pencil or like instrument used in connection with 15 if desired.To this end, wall 19 of said casing i3 the pad. 1 is curved and providedwith an arcuate port-ion It is still another object of this invention to20 at its upper end to direct and reflect light rays provide switchmeans to control said lighting emitted from said bulb toward the surfaceof the device. top leaf i8 of said pad i2.

A further object of the present invention con- 2 Switch block l6 whichcarries the leaf spring templates the provision of a pencil which may becontact bars 22, 23 may be made of a suitable brought into operative orinoperative position in insulating material and has in its base portion24 said switch means for the aforementioned pura lodgement or bore 25for receiving therein a pose. pencil 26. Pencil 26 is provided with aflat part Still another object of this invention is to pro- 25 27 for apurpose hereinafter set forth.

vide means to control the said unit, and a mem- The contact bar 23 issecured at one end to ber adapted to actuate said means, said memberblock l6, as at 23' and is adapted for spring for connecting anddisconnecting said means with engagement with contact bar 22. Block i6has said unit respectively upon releasing of said mema cut-out ii forthe reception of the inwardly ber from said means. 30 bent or loopedportion 22 of bar 22. Communi- Still another object of this invention isto proeating w e C re 25 is a Op 5"- vide a member for selectivelyconnecting and dis- If the pencil 26 is inserted within the bore 25connecting said means and said unit respectively. e looped portion f e br 12 Will u A still further object of this invention is to proains h p ni 26 causing th r 22 o be vide a catch associated with said switch means5 flexed outwardly and its end 22' out of engageto intermittently engagesaid member for conment with the contact bar 23 thus breakingelectrolling said means. trical connection. In order to maintain thisdis- The above and other objects of the invention connection, that is,to maintain the switch in and the means for their attainment will bemore inoperative position the following provision is apparent from thefollowing detailed description 40 made: taken in connection with theaccompanying Provided on block i 6 is a catch or trigger 28 drawingillustrating a preferred embodiment by which may consist o a ba 29 d ofsp i ey which the invention may be realized and in material and which isfixedly secured at its one which: end to block l6 by suitable means,such as a Fig. 1 is a top plan view of a pad provided with screw 30. Itsfree other end 3| is provided with a casing for housing an electricilluminating unit a projection 33 adapted for engagement with bartherein. 22 for maintaining the latter out of contact with Fig. 2 is asectional side view along line 2-2 of a 23 in the inoperative position-The bar 29 is Fig. 3. provided with an abutment 32 which extends Fig. 3is a bottom plan view of the device of through an opening 32' into bore25 of block i6. Fig. 1. By the insertion of pencil 26 within bore 25 andFig. 4 is a perspective fragmentary view of the in engagement withabutment 32 the catch 28 is switch portion in inoperative position.flexed outwardly and the looped portion 22" of Fig. 5 is a perspectivefragmentary view simibar 22 is in engagement with pencil 26 through larto Fig. 4, the switch being shown in operative Ope i a shown inposition. If the pencil is now rotated in bore 26 until its Fig. 6 is aperspective view of the pencil with fiat port on ich s O a o er p a e as its fiat portion thereon. arcuate portion) is adjacent the loopedportion Figs. 7-10 inclusive show diagrammatically the 22", the latterwill be caused to retract. During different positions of the switchactuated by the this et ac o c c 2! is fl ed hus allow ng pencil. thebar 22 to freely contact bar 23 without being interfered with by theprojection 33, as shown in Fi 10.

Fig. 9 shows the relative positions of pencil 26, looped portion 22" ofbar 22, and catch 28 during a stage of operation.

To cause disconnection of contact bars 22 and 23, the pencil 26 isinserted within bore 25 causing thereby the catch 28 and bar 22 to flexsufficiently outwardly to allow the edge of the bar 22 to clear theprojection 33 of catch 28. After this clearing has been accomplished andthe pencil withdrawn, catch 28 will automatically retract,

uses and therefore is not intended that it be limited to the aforesaidapplication. This switch arrangement may be employed in any part of anelectric circuit whereby connection and disconnection of the circuit isdesired by the manipulation of a member or key in a manner or similar tothat explained hereinabove.

In order to make accessible the parts within housing l3, there isprovided a removable bottom plate 40. Plate 40 is supported at one endby a flange 4|, the other end of plate being,

supported by the lugs 42. By swinging these rugs 42 about their pivots43 bottom plate 40 may be readily withdrawn with its parts mountedthere- Pad l2 may be of *the type .wherein a binding strip I2 isemployed to keep the sheets of said pad together. The pad is preferablyplaced with its strip l2 against wall ll whereas the other loose end ofthe pad is releasably held by any suitable resilient means, such assprings 44. If it is desired to remove the top sheet from said pad, saidsheet is frictionally engaged with a finger of a hand and withdrawn fromunder the spring means 44 and then separated from said strip. Of course,it is understood that a new pad may be easily and readily insertedwithin the compartment ll after a previous pad has been used up.

Any suitable design may be applied to the casing 13 and a section 45 maybe used for receiving a name plate or any desired engraving.

In order to fix the position of the pencil, particularly duringdarkness, there is provided a fiat surface D on the projecting end ofthe pencil and which is in alignment with flat surface 21. By thesemeans the operator can easily feel the location of the flat part for itspurpose, namely to engage the looped portion 22" of bar 22 with the flatsurface 21 of the pencil, releasing the catch 28 as set forth above.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with theaccompanying drawing, the advantage of the construction and operation ofthe device shown will be readily understood by those skilled in the artto which the invention pertains; and while I have described theprinciple of operation, together with the device which I now consider tobe the best embodiment thereof, I desire to have it understood that thedevice changes may be made as are within the eope of the appendedclaims.

Having thus described the invention what is claimed as new and desiredto be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. In a writing pad device and the like having an electric lamp forilluminating the surface of said pad; a switch block provided with abore and carrying said lamp, a member provided with a flat part, saidmember being removably slidable in said bore, contact bars mounted onsaid block for conducting current from a supply source to said lamp, oneof said bars being movable relatively to the other of said bars andhaving a looped portion, said block having an opening and a cut-out,said opening and said cut-out communicating with said bore, and catchmeans on said block and provided with a projection, said looped portionprotruding through said cut-out and said projection extending throughsaid opening into said bore, said looped portion and said projectionbeing actuatable by said member to connect and disconnect contactbetween said bars, said catch means being adapted to maintain saidcontact disconnection upon engagement of said projection with said fiatpart of said member and subsequent sliding movement of said member alongand out of said bore.

2. In a device of the character described having a writing pad and thelike, a lamp for illuminating the pad surface, a pair of contact barsone movable relatively to the other for connecting and disconnectingelectric current supplyto said lamp, and a writing member for said padand engageable with one of said contact bars;

I a support having a bore for slidably receiving shown is merelyillustrative and that such therein said member, said member beingprovided at the circumference thereof with two portions in differentplanes, and catch means mounted on said support, said catch means andsaid one contact bar being actuatable by said member and separated fromeach other upon insertion of said member in said bore, said one contactbar when in contact with one of said portions and upon sliding movementof said member longitudinally of said bore engaging the other of saidbars and connecting said lamp to said current supply, said one contactbar when in contact with the other of said portions of said member andupon sliding movement of said'member longitudinally of said boreengaging said catch means and remaining out of engagement with saidother of said contact bars thus disconnecting said lamp from saidcurrent supply.

3. In a device of the character described having an electricilluminating unit; a pair of engageable contact bars joined through acircuit to an electric current supply source and adapted to respectivelyopen and close said circuit to which said unit is connected, a catchadjacent one of said contact bars and provided with a projection, and amember provided with two faces at relatively difierent levels,respectively, said member being removably positioned adjacent said onecontact bar and said catch, said faces being engageable, respectivelywith said projection and a portion of said one contact bar, whereby uponremoval of said member with its faces from respective engagement withsaid projection and said contact bar portion, said one contact bar mayengage selectively with said catch to interrupt the circuit or clearsaid catch for engagement of said one with the other contact bar toclose said circuit.

ALFRED

